Optical Imaging Services
Would you like to monitor intracellular processes in real time and in live animals? We offer extensive in vivo expertise, intellectual property, and years of experience with in vivo biophotonic imaging.
In Vivo Bioluminescent/Fluorescent Imaging Program
In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have invested heavily in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, combinatorial chemistry, and high throughput in vitro screening to identify and develop potential therapeutic agents. Although these technologies identify increasing numbers of compounds as drug development candidates, decades-old animal modeling techniques have shown that only a limited number of these candidates will enter late-stage preclinical testing. In addition to being inherently low throughput, traditional animal modeling techniques are marginally predictive of success in human clinical trials, and thus, a high failure rate in drug development persists. New technologies have been developed to overcome the bottlenecks in animal testing. To that end, Xenogen Biosciences is pleased to offer access to its in vivo expertise, intellectual property and know-how with respect to real-time in vivo biophotonic imaging. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies may now access this proprietary patented technology held by Caliper Life Sciences through research collaborations with its subsidiary Caliper Discovery Alliances & Services (‘CDAS’).
Real-time In Vivo Imaging
In vivo biophotonic imaging offers increased throughput, allowing in vivo testing on a larger number of drugs than with conventional technologies. Moreover, Caliper's real-time in vivo imaging offers a more predictive model, since more and higher quality data can be collected earlier in the development process for those drug candidates that are evaluated in vivo. Therefore, the combination of higher throughput and more predictive models is likely to improve the productivity of the drug development process.
This real-time in vivo imaging utilizes the light emitted by a bioluminescent or fluorescent reporter gene (or fluorescent molecule, such as a dye or quantum dot) expressed in a living organism, and then analyzes the source and strength of that bioluminescent or fluorescent signal non-invasively, allowing extensive longitudinal modeling in the same live animal. By measuring and analyzing the light emission variability, researchers can monitor cellular or genetic activity, and use the results to track gene expression, the spread of disease, or the effect(s) of a new drug candidate in vivo.
Capturing, quantifying, and analyzing the light emitted from the animal requires an extremely sensitive camera system capable of detecting exceptionally low light levels. IVIS® Imaging Systems from Caliper integrate CCD cameras, optimized imaging chambers, and custom Living Image® software to accomplish this task. The IVIS® Imaging Systems use back-thinned, thermoelectrically-cooled CCD cameras to provide high-efficiency photon detection, particularly in the red region of the spectrum where tissue transparency is highest, and offering a high signal to noise ratio for maximum sensitivity. Researchers can view an entire animal or focus on one organ or system for added detail and sensitivity. The Living Image® software provides an interface for imaging and data capture. Further, the system acquires images per user settings and displays the data as an overlaid color image, recording the emitted and quantified photon data. The colors in the images represent the number of photons emitted per unit area, with an adjustable scale to allow enhancement of detail in any data set if required.
R&D Benefits
Real-time in vivo imaging is designed to provide:
• Higher Throughput — Caliper’s proprietary imaging technology requires fewer test animals and shorter timelines as compared to more conventional animal testing paradigms, thus allowing more compounds to be evaluated for efficacy or deleterious side effects
• Higher Data Content and Quality — Temporal and spatial data can be collected from the same animal over multiple time points (ie., longitudinal studies). Also, the response to treatment can be assessed without the need for measuring circulating markers or terminal histological assessments. As a consequence, this approach also decreases the statistical error inherent in conventional methodologies, improving data quality.
• More Predictive Animal Models — By collecting data from intact, living animals, more accurate predictions can be made earlier in preclinical development process and may help to identify those drug development candidates which will perform better in human clinical trials.
For more information please review the related downloads, email us directly at imaging@caliperls.com or complete and submit the product inquiry form and a CDAS representative will contact you.
Back to CDAS - In Vivo (Overview) webpage